KFC Tests 3D-Printed Chicken Nuggets in Russia

KFC has partnered with a Russian biotech research firm to create the world’s first laboratory-produced chicken nuggets this fall. The fast-food chain and Russia’s 3D Bioprinting Solutions, founded by the private medical firm Invitro, announced the partnership Thursday amid a growing global race to find safe and authentic-tasting meat alternatives.  3D Bioprinting Solutions will use chicken…

The Coronavirus Is Crippling Baikonur, the City That Sends Humans Into Space

In blistering 40-degree-Celsius heat Gulnat Kadirbeyeva drives around the outskirts of Baikonur delivering water and basic medicine to people battling severe coronavirus symptoms at home in cramped tower blocks. Many are decorated with large murals of rockets, a constant reminder of the city’s spaceport that is Russia’s launchpad into space.  An administrator at a construction…

JSC NIIEFA has shipped off a cyclotron CC-30/15 made for the Thailand Institute of Nuclear Technology

On July 15-17, 2020 JSC Efremov NIIEFA (Saint-Petersburg), shipped off the equipment, which is part of an isochronous cyclotron СС-30/15. Nine containers of total weight 120 tons were sent to Nakhon Nayok Province, where JSC Rusatom Health Care and Kinetics Corporation Ltd. carry out construction of the cyclotron and radiochemistry complex ordered by the Thailand…

Russia’s Elite Vaccinated for Coronavirus Since April – Bloomberg

Members of Russia’s ruling elite have been given access to an experimental coronavirus vaccine as early as April, Bloomberg reported Monday, citing unnamed sources. “Several hundred” billionaires, executives and government officials took the experimental shots developed by the state-run Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology, a researcher familiar with the effort told the…

In Belarus, 3 Women Unite to Fight Strongman Lukashenko

Three women have teamed up to fight presidential polls in Belarus, pitting “female solidarity” against strongman Alexander Lukashenko, who insists the country is not ready for a woman president. Their campaign comes as the rights group Amnesty International on Friday released a report condemning the ex-Soviet country’s discriminatory treatment of women opposition activists, citing threats…

UK ‘Confident’ Moscow Helped Hackers Target Virus Vaccine

British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said on Sunday he was “absolutely confident” in allegations by the UK and its allies that Russia targeted labs conducting coronavirus research, branding the behavior “outrageous and reprehensible”. Britain, the United States and Canada on Thursday accused a hacking group called APT29 of spearheading the online attacks on various organizations involved in…

Russia’s Coronavirus Cases Pass 770K

From July Moscow has no longer required people to wear masks outdoors as the number of new coronavirus cases has dwindled in the Russian capital in recent weeks. Moscow lifted restrictions including compulsory travel passes on June 8, a move welcomed by residents who rushed out to enjoy the streets and parks. Many other regions lifted…

Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | July 19

Russia has confirmed 771,546 cases of coronavirus and 12,342 deaths. July 19: 3 things you need to know today Britain’s cybersecurity agency on Thursday accused a hacking group it said “almost certainly” operates as part of Russian intelligence services of trying to steal information on coronavirus vaccines. Russia plans to conduct Phase III trials of its experimental coronavirus vaccine…

Cool Down with Slavic Ceviche

Somewhere in the early 2000s, it became okay to play with our food.  Not in the sense of rolling it up into balls and hurling it at one another, but to pair traditional ingredients with non-traditional methods of preparation or vice versa. Until then, everyone had dutifully stayed in his lane: sushi was sushi, but…

Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | July 18

Russia has confirmed 765,437 cases of coronavirus and 12,247 deaths. July 18: 3 things you need to know today Britain’s cybersecurity agency on Thursday accused a hacking group it said “almost certainly” operates as part of Russian intelligence services of trying to steal information on coronavirus vaccines. Russia plans to conduct Phase III trials of its experimental…

Russia’s Coronavirus Cases Pass 760K

From July Moscow has no longer required people to wear masks outdoors as the number of new coronavirus cases has dwindled in the Russian capital in recent weeks. Moscow lifted restrictions including compulsory travel passes on June 8, a move welcomed by residents who rushed out to enjoy the streets and parks. Many other regions lifted…

Russian Couple Tried for ‘Treasonous’ Wedding Photos Face Charges of Sharing State Secrets

A couple from Russia’s western exclave of Kaliningrad who face 20 years in jail for blowing the cover of a secret agent in their wedding photos face new charges of passing state secrets to foreign intelligence, news outlets have reported. Baltic affairs expert Antonina Zimina and her husband Konstantin Antonets were charged with treason after Zimina’s…

Russia to Keep Mass Surveillance After Coronavirus, Activists Say

Russian authorities’ massive surveillance campaign rolled out during the coronavirus pandemic could easily be used to monitor civilians in the future, research by the Agora human rights group said Thursday. During the pandemic, the authorities have collected arriving citizens’ personal data; introduced pass systems that limited movement and violated citizens’ rights; and conducted video surveillance…

Putin Orders Massive Snap Military Drills

President Vladimir Putin has ordered snap military drills involving 150,000 personnel and hundreds of aircraft and naval vessels to ensure “security in Russia’s southwest,” the Defense Ministry said Friday.  “In accordance with the decision of the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Armed Forces snap exercises are being conducted by troops of the Southern and Western military districts,”…

Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | July 17

Russia has confirmed 759,203 cases of coronavirus and 12,123 deaths. July 17: 3 things you need to know today Britain’s cybersecurity agency on Thursday accused a hacking group it said “almost certainly” operates as part of Russian intelligence services of trying to steal information on coronavirus vaccines. Russia plans to conduct Phase III trials of its experimental coronavirus vaccine…

Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | July 16

Russia has confirmed 752,797 cases of coronavirus and 11,937 deaths. July 16: 3 things you need to know today Britain’s cybersecurity agency on Thursday accused a hacking group it said “almost certainly” operates as part of Russian intelligence services of trying to steal information on coronavirus vaccines. Russia plans to conduct Phase III trials of its experimental coronavirus…

UK, U.S. and Canada Accuse Russia of Vaccine Research Hacking

Britain, the United States and Canada on Thursday risked worsening fraught diplomatic ties with Russia by accusing Moscow-linked hackers of targeting labs in their countries conducting coronavirus vaccine research. The three governments pointed the finger at the Kremlin, saying that a hacking group called APT29 was “almost certainly” linked to Russian intelligence. In a separate claim, London…

Russia Violates Women’s Rights During Childbirth Amid Coronavirus – Report

Russia is among dozens of countries that have violated women’s rights during childbirth amid restrictions imposed because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Open Democracy advocacy group said Thursday. Women in at least 45 countries faced treatment that defied World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines this spring and summer, Open Democracy’s investigation said. These include forcibly separating…

Fighting Between Armenia and Azerbaijan Widens

Fierce fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan continued for a fifth day on Thursday, with at least 16 soldiers on both sides killed. Both sides also reported the other attacking civilian settlements in what appears to be a widening conflict. The Azerbaijani authorities said that Armenian artillery fire killed one civilian, Aziz Azizov of the village Aghdam in…

Can I Travel to Russia Now That Quarantine Is Over?

As Russia has begun reporting fewer coronavirus infections in the past month, its authorities have made several announcements that appeared to suggest it was reopening its borders to foreigners. This week, authorities said they will lift self-quarantine requirements for arriving citizens and foreigners alike. Starting Wednesday, Russia has also started negotiations with other countries to…

U.S. Targets Russia Group Over Libya Mines, Sudan Suppression

The United States on Wednesday accused a Russian mercenary group of laying landmines in and around Tripoli and imposed sanctions over its alleged cooperation with Sudan’s ousted dictator. The Pentagon’s Africa Command said it had “verified photographic evidence” that the Wagner Group, a private security operation allegedly sponsored by the Russian government, planted mines “indiscriminately”…

Over 140 Detained After Anti-Putin Protest in Moscow

Russian police detained over 140 people including a high-profile Moscow deputy after Kremlin critics protested Wednesday against changes to the constitution, the OVD-Info monitor said. The group, which tracks arrests at political protests, said 142 people were detained Wednesday evening. Many people including journalists were put in police vehicles, AFP correspondents said from the scene.…

Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | July 15

Russia has confirmed 746,369 cases of coronavirus and 11,770 deaths. July 15: 3 things you need to know today Russia will no longer require foreigners without coronavirus to self-isolate for 14 days after arrival as the country looks to begin reopening to international travelers in the midst of the pandemic, according to a decree published Monday.  The Russian Defense…

Russia’s Coronavirus Infections Near 750K

Starting July 13, Moscow will no longer require people to wear masks outdoors as the number of new coronavirus cases has dwindled in the Russian capital in recent weeks. Moscow lifted restrictions including compulsory travel passes on June 8, a move welcomed by residents who rushed out to enjoy the streets and parks. Many other regions…

Russia Moves to Ban Gay Marriage

Russian lawmakers have swiftly moved to ban same-sex marriage in line with President Vladimir Putin’s recent changes to the Constitution. Seven senators submitted a draft bill late Tuesday to amend Russia’s Family Code and legally ban gay marriage and adoptions, including, according to its authors, by transgender people. The move comes two weeks after voters…

Spotify Expands to Russia and Eastern Europe

Music streaming giant Spotify announced Tuesday it was launching its service in Russia and 12 other countries around Eastern Europe. Spotify would become available to users immediately, according to a statement, which added that the Swedish streaming service was now accessible in 92 markets. In addition to Russia, Spotify was rolling out in Albania, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Kazakhstan,…

A Long Weekend In Lipetsk

Sometimes the most interesting places in Russia are a bit off the beaten path. Case in point: Lipetsk region. Lipetsk is 465 km from Moscow — almost six hours by car. Although the region is associated with Peter the Great, the writer Ivan Bunin, and other famous historical figures, it is not on the standard…

Teenage Boy Dies of Plague in Mongolia

A 15-year-old boy has died from the bubonic plague in Mongolia, health authorities said Tuesday, one of a handful of cases that recently emerged in the country and neighboring China. The boy, who lived in the remote southwest province of Gobi-Altai, caught the rare bacterial illness after hunting and eating a marmot, according to the…